Spotting a First Edition
Whether on a personal quest or looking for that thrift-shop bargain to sell on to a dealer, any serious book hunter needs to be able to tell whether a book is a first edition. This is a basic guide to determining first edition status.
Does the printed date correspond?
Conventional book-collecting wisdom holds that a book can be considered a first edition if there is no evidence to the contrary. The first thing to check is the date of printing recorded in the book. Usually, this is found on the copyright page (the reverse of the main title page). If the date information reads 'First printed XXXX' or 'Printed XXXX', and nothing further, then the book can be assumed to be a first edition unless there is compelling reason to suspect otherwise.
A case in which dates might be misleading is that of a book published by a company that specializes in popular reprints. Ensure that you know the book's original date of publication, so as not to be misled by an uncredited reprint. The catalogue of a major library is a useful reference for dates.
If a date of subsequent printing is given – in the form of 'second impression', 'second printing', 'reprinted', etc. – then the book is definitely not a first edition.
Does the number code correspond?
Many publishers now use a number sequence to identify the edition of a book. This code will be found towards the bottom of the copyright page. It follows different orders of sequencing, depending on the publisher: one code might read '1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10', another '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1', and another '1 3 5 7 9 2 4 6 8 10'. Don't let that worry you, because the order is unimportant. What you need to look for is the lowest number in the sequence. If the smallest numeral is '1', then the book is part of the first edition printing. If the smallest numeral is '2', then the book comes from the second printing, and so on.
Examples:
- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- First printing
- 3 5 7 9 2 4 6 8 10
- Second printing
- 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Third printing
Is it a true first?
All firsts are not created equal. If a book is issued in different countries or versions, which is the true first edition?
Follow the flag
All other things being equal, a first edition published in the author's native country ranks above one published in another country. The domestic first edition is described simply as 'first edition', while the foreign one is qualified by its country of origin, e.g. 'first US edition'.
Exceptions might be in cases where foreign publication preceded domestic publication by a significant margin.
Trade and deluxe
Sometimes, books are issued simultaneously in normal trade editions and limited deluxe editions. Both count as first editions. The issue of being 'first' is, however, less relevant to deluxe editions, since a limited edition can never go into another printing!
Multi-part works
If a book originally appeared as a serial in a magazine, then (strictly speaking) the magazine issues constitute the true first edition.
Variant states
Sometimes, due to financial problems, disagreements over layout, or legal concerns, the first printing of a book is partly withdrawn or handled by more than one printer. There may therefore be two slightly differing versions of the book, both of which are considered first editions, but the earlier/rarer of which is more sought after as a collectable. The earlier printing is sometimes referred to as 'first edition, first state'. To identify which version you have, you should consult a specialist bibliography.
'First edition thus'
A designation often used by dealers is 'first edition thus'. This does not refer to a first edition; it refers to the first printing of a new edition. For example, if a book were originally published in hardback, then the first printing of a subsequent paperback edition might be called a 'first edition thus'. It is basically a term used to make less collectable editions sound more valuable.
In brief
If…
- Only one publication date is given
- That date matches what you know of the book's history
- The lowest figure in the number code (if any) is 1
- The book was published in the author's native country
- You don't know of any specific reason why the book shouldn't be regarded as a first edition
… then you probably have a first edition.
Of course, the value of a first edition depends on various factors, including the size of the print run, the fame of the author, and the book's position within their bibliography. First editions of early works by now-famous authors tend to be the most collectable titles. (For more on this, see the companion article on book hunting tips.)
Happy hunting!